Students Will Soon Lounge with New and Improved Amenities
By Caitlin Collins
Staff Writer

As a new program this year, the Residential Life Advisory Committee (RLAC) has worked hard to get its name out and to improve residential life.

“The primary thing that we’ve really talked about is really trying to get our name exposed and organizing getting our group together, which I think we have finally done,” said Associate Dean of Campus Life Frank Bedoya. “We now have a representative from each of the residence halls except Oldenborg.”

As a committee, RLAC is focused upon improving residential life in any way possible.

“Our immediate goals and plans for the future and specifically next semester are to continue getting the name out and continue creating opportunities for students to react within the residence halls,” said Bedoya. “We are not about large-scale programming. Our job is providing an atmosphere, trying to figure what is it residents want, and how can we improve life in the hall.”

Along these lines, RLAC has been working on revamping lounges across campus.

“We have been planning dorm renovations, specifically to Wig and Mudd lounges on South Campus, and Walker lounge on North Campus,” said Wig representative Kelvin Sun ’07. “We just want everyone to have a better residential experience.”

“One of the things we did two meetings ago was we created smaller sub-committees to really look at the lounges,” said Bedoya. “They are going to report back to Dean [Matt] Taylor so we can prioritize what should happen in what lounges first.”

The first step RLAC took was to get general student feedback regarding the lounges.

“I would say the overarching common theme is trying to make some of the lounges more coffee house-like atmospheres,” said Bedoya. “A lot of people refer to this as more ‘Motley-like.’ One of the things we are looking to do is actually restart Walker Coffee House in the spring, and that will be more of a coffee house-like atmosphere.”

In order to do this, RLAC is looking into bringing in a portable stage and holding events on a weekly basis.

“We are trying to get these changes done as soon as possible,” said Bedoya. “The plan would be that if we can’t get it done by the end of this semester, to do it over winter break so that when everybody comes back there will be some changes to the lounges.”

“I think RLAC has some good ideas; I would like to see some changes to the lounges,” said Tom Hartwell ’07.

While putting a large amount of effort into the renovation of dorms, RLAC has also sponsored smaller events throughout the campus including pie nights in Lyon and Smiley, sushi in Harwood, s’mores in Wig and pizza in Walker.

“S’mores night was something so greatly unexpected. I just remember really, really hot melted chocolate all over my hands, and it was good,” said Ciara Fernandez ’07.

RLAC also recently sponsored a Charlotte’s Web reading in the Women’s Union with President David Oxtoby.

“He showed up, brought a robe and read excerpts from Charlotte’s Web,” said Bedoya. “It was great; it’s not very often that you are sitting in a room and the president is reading Charlotte’s Web. It went really well. All the programs that we have done have been very successful.”

RLAC hopes to continue its trends of success and business next semester and in years to come.